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• Jeff Foust
Impulse Space plans to increase the cadence of rideshare missions to geostationary orbit, citing strong commercial demand. The expansion signals continued customer interest in dedicated orbital transfer and deployment services for GEO-bound payloads, while adding another demand indicator for the emerging commercial space transportation market.
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Impulse Space plans to increase the cadence of rideshare missions to geostationary orbit, citing strong commercial demand. The expansion signals continued customer interest in dedicated orbital transfer and deployment services for GEO-bound payloads, while adding another demand indicator for the emerging commercial space transportation market.
Redwire will manufacture data processing units and network switches for Luxembourg-based Edge Aerospace under a licensing agreement announced Aug. 25 at the Small Satellite Conference. The pact expands Edge Aerospace’s U.S. manufacturing footprint while adding space electronics production capacity through Redwire.
BlackSky Technology says its international business is growing faster than its core U.S. market as foreign governments subscribe to the company’s geospatial imagery and analytics services. Demand is being driven particularly by its Gen 3 satellites, which provide imagery at 35-centimeter resolution.
Companies that built businesses arranging rideshare missions for small satellites are increasingly purchasing entire SpaceX launches for themselves. The shift signals intensifying competition for orbital access and suggests that dedicated launch capacity is becoming strategically valuable even for operators traditionally reliant on shared missions.
CesiumAstro is raising additional funds in a Series D round as the phased-array antenna specialist pursues an acquisition spree and prepares to become a constellation operator, signaling an expansion from supplying space communications technology toward operating space-based infrastructure.
High activity
SpaceX plans to invest up to $100 billion in a new Starbase facility in Louisiana’s Vermilion Parish, replicating and expanding its southern Texas operation. The proposed Gulf Coast spaceport would include 10 launch pads and support thousands of Starship launches annually, according to Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry.
Polish startup Ares Shield is developing high-power microwave weapons to protect satellites intended for data-center applications. The company says satellite protection will become increasingly necessary as orbital infrastructure expands, framing defensive capabilities as a core requirement for the future satellite market.
British startup Odin Space will continue flying its Black Box payload on Arkisys’ Cutter spacecraft under an extended agreement. The system is designed to address lethal, non-trackable space debris, adding another commercial effort focused on improving awareness of orbital hazards.
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